College Saving Matching Program

At the Circassian Education Foundation (CEF), we believe in investing in the future of our youth. Our 2025-2026 College Savings Matching Program is designed with two key goals in mind:

To provide financial support for young Circassian children's future higher education.
To encourage families to start saving early for college expenses.

About the Program

The CEF offers a one-time matching grant of up to $1,000 per child towards eligible 529 college savings plans. These Grants are for Circassian children aged 13 years old or younger.

We will award up to $3,000 in total Grants each year, with a maximum of $1,000 per grant for a total of 3 grants each year.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for a grant, all applicants must meet the following requirements:

A parent, grandparent, or legal guardian must open a 529 Plan in the child's name at a US financial institution. (If you need help, the Foundation can provide information on how to set up an account).
The parent, grandparent, or legal guardian must make an initial deposit into their child's 529 Plan.
The parent, grandparent, or legal guardian must commit to monthly, automatically recurring deposits of at least $25 per month into their child’s 529 Plan until the child's 18th birthday.
The parent, grandparent, or legal guardian must purchase at least one (1) ticket to attend the Foundation’s Scholarship Awards & Fundraising Gala on November 26, 2025.
The eligible child must be of Circassian descent, a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, 13 years of age or younger, and must not have previously received a Grant from the Foundation.

Please Note: Any Grant may be denied, revoked, or reclaimed if, at the Foundation's discretion, a recipient is found to be ineligible based on the criteria above

How to Apply

Parents, grandparents, or legal guardians are required to submit the following documents to the Foundation between September 01, 2025 and October 31, 2025:

A completed online Grant application form by October 31, 2025.
Proof of a 529 Plan opened at a US financial institution
Proof of an initial deposit to the 529 Plan.
Proof of monthly automatically recurring deposits of at least $25 per month into their child’s 529 Plan.

Need help opening a 529 Plan? The Foundation can provide information on how to open and set up an appropriate account. To request assistance, please contact Dr. Sameer Stas at sameer.stas@circassianfoundatoin.org

Where to Send Documents:

All documents must be received by the Foundation by the October 31, 2025, deadline.

Email documents to: submissions@circassianfoundation.org

or Mail documents to: Circassian Education Foundation P.O. Box 2276, Wayne, NJ 07470

Grant Award Details

Grant applications received will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, with no more than $3,000 in total Grants awarded per year.
Subject to fund availability, an eligible child will receive a one-time Grant matching their initial 529 Plan deposit, or the aggregate of all deposits made from January 1, 2025, to the application date, up to $1,000. If your deposit(s) are greater than $1,000, the grant will be $1,000.
For families with more than one child, you may only apply for one child per year.
The Foundation may offer this program every year but reserves the right to suspend, cancel, or amend the terms and conditions at any time without prior notice.

Important Timeline

Application Window: September 01, 2025, to October 31, 2025. Applications received after October 31, 2025, will not be considered.
Document Submission Deadline: All supporting documents must be received by October 31, 2025.
Grant Notifications: Awardees will be notified no later than November 08, 2025.

If you have any questions, please contact the Foundation at:

submissions@circassianfoundation.org

2025-2026 College Savings Matching Program Application Form is Open

SECTION A Please fill out all fields below, or enter "N/A" if not applicable or not available.

Date of application: 8/26/2025 3:26:21 AM

Child First Name	Child Last Name	DOB	Gender
Father's First Name	Father's Last Name	Mother's First Name	Mother's Last Name
Email		Address

City

State

Zip

Home Phone	Work Phone	Cell Phone	Fax
SECTION B Please fill out all fields below, or enter "N/A" if not applicable or not available.
Have you opened a 529 college savings account at a US financial institution in the name of your child?

Bank Name	Bank Address	Bank Account Number
Have you made an initial deposit to the 529 account between January 1, 2022 and today's date?
Enter the total amount of deposits made to the 529 account between January 1, 2022 and today's date A copy of the deposit slip(s) or other proof of deposit(s) must be mailed to the Circassian Education Foundation, PO Box 2276, Wayne, NJ 07470.
Have you set up an automatically recurring deposit into the 529 account of at least $25 per month?
Proof of an automatically recurring monthly deposit into the 529 account of at least $25 per month must be mailed to the Circassian Education Foundation, PO Box 2276, Wayne, NJ 07470.
I hereby certify to the best of my knowledge that the foregoing information is complete, true and accurate. I hereby indemnify and hold harmless the Circassian Education Foundation (the "CEF") and its affiliates, successors and assigns, officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents ("CEF Parties") from and against any and all losses or damages (including attorneys fees) arising out of or relating to any statements or representations made by me in this application form or otherwise in connection with the Program, including without limitation in any materials I submit in connection with the Program. I agree to immediately return to the CEF, upon demand, the value of any Grant that has been or may be awarded to me if any statement or representation made by me in this application is false or misleading, and I acknowledge and agree that all available legal and equitable remedies may be pursued against me in connection therewith. I further acknowledge and agree with the foregoing Program rules, procedures and eligibility criteria, and hereby release and forever discharge the CEF Parties from any and all claims, liabilities, obligations, promises, agreements, disputes, demands, damages and causes of action of any nature and kind, known or unknown, which I have had, currently have or may in the future have against the CEF or any of the CEF Parties arising out of or relating to the Program.

Signature - Enter your Full Name

Signature Date